The U.S. Supreme Court declined to allow new Postal Service requirements for mail ballots to take effect ahead of the November midterm elections, leaving a lower court order blocking the changes in place.
The disputed rules were connected to an executive order issued by Donald Trump and would have required states to meet new Postal Service requirements for mailing ballots, including approved envelopes and identifying information.
States and voting-rights groups challenging the requirements argued that implementing them shortly before an election could result in otherwise valid ballots being rejected.
A federal judge previously blocked the changes after questioning both their legality and the potential disruption to state election systems.
The Supreme Court declined the administration’s request to intervene and allow the requirements to take effect immediately. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented.
The dispute comes as election rules, mail voting and the division of authority between states and the federal government remain the subject of extensive litigation ahead of the 2026 midterms.
States traditionally establish many of the procedures governing elections, although federal law regulates some aspects of voting and the Postal Service handles millions of election-related mail pieces.
The Supreme Court’s action does not necessarily resolve the underlying legal dispute. It means the new requirements will remain blocked while litigation continues.
